Inflammatory and Adipose Response in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients After a Marathon Cycling Race

Abstract Background Organ transplant recipients frequently have chronic inflammation, with a weighty impact on cardiovascular risk. These patients can benefit from exercise, although the role of intense training is unclear. We evaluated the effect of a 130-km cycling race on inflammatory cytokines and adiponectin levels in transplant recipients. Methods Circulating interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, and adiponectin were assayed in 35 healthy subjects vs 19 transplant recipients (10 kidney, 8 liver, 1 heart), matched for sex, age, body mass index, and preparation workout. The determinations were performed before the race, at the end, and after 18 to 24 hours. Baseline values of 32 sedentary transplant recipients also were evaluated to explore the possible chronic impact of lifestyle. Results All cyclists had 6- to 8-fold increased IL-6 levels after the race that decreased, without returning to baseline, the day after. Conversely, serum TNF-α and IFN-γ showed a progressive increase starting during physical performance and enduring for the next 18 to 24 hours in healthy subjects, whereas they were unchanged over time in cyclists with transplants. In transplant recipients who did not perform exercise, all of the analytes were significantly higher in comparison to basal levels of physically active subjects. Conclusions Our data suggest that clinically stable and properly trained transplant recipients can safely perform and progressively benefit from exercise, even at a competitive level. The changes in inflammation parameters were temporary and parallel with those of the healthy subjects. The comparison with sedentary transplant recipients revealed an overall amelioration of inflammatory indexes as a possible effect of regular physical activity on systemic inflammation

Relationship between Deck Level, Body Surface Temperature and Carcass Damages in Italian Heavy Pigs after Short Journeys at Different Unloading Environmental Conditions

In order to evaluate the relationships between deck level, body surface temperature and carcass damages after a short journey (30 min), 10 deliveries of Italian heavy pigs, including a total of 1400 animals from one farm, were examined. Within 5 min after the arrival at the abattoir, the vehicles were unloaded. Environmental temperature and relative humidity were recorded and a Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was calculated. After unloading, maximum temperatures of dorsal and ocular regions were measured by a thermal camera on groups of pigs from each of the unloaded decks. After dehairing, quarters and whole carcasses were evaluated subjectively by a trained operator for skin damage using a four-point scale. On the basis of THI at unloading, deliveries were grouped into three classes. Data of body surface temperature and skin damage score were analysed in a model including THI class, deck level and their interaction. Regardless of pig location in the truck, the maximum temperature of the dorsal and ocular regions increased with increasing THI class. Within each THI class, the highest and lowest body surface temperatures were found in pigs located on the middle and upper decks, respectively. Only THI class was found to affect the skin damage score (p < 0.05), which increased on quarters and whole carcasses with increasing THI class. The results of this study on short-distance transport of Italian heavy pigs highlighted the need to control and ameliorate the environmental conditions in the trucks, even at relatively low temperature and THI, in order to improve welfare and reduce loss of carcass value

The 500 ks Chandra observation of the z = 6.31 QSO SDSS J1030+0524

We present the results from a $\sim500$ ks Chandra observation of the $z=6.31$ QSO SDSS J1030+0524. This is the deepest X-ray observation to date of a $z\sim6$ QSO. The QSO is detected with a total of 125 net counts in the full ($0.5-7$ keV) band and its spectrum can be modeled by a single power-law model with photon index of $\Gamma = 1.81 \pm 0.18$ and full band flux of $f=3.95\times 10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$. When compared with the data obtained by XMM-Newton in 2003, our Chandra observation in 2017 shows a harder ($\Delta \Gamma \approx -0.6$) spectrum and a 2.5 times fainter flux. Such a variation, in a timespan of $\sim2$ yrs rest-frame, is unexpected for such a luminous QSO powered by a $> 10^9 \: M_{\odot}$ black hole. The observed source hardening and weakening could be related to an intrinsic variation in the accretion rate. However, the limited photon statistics does not allow us to discriminate between an intrinsic luminosity and spectral change, and an absorption event produced by an intervening gas cloud along the line of sight. We also report the discovery of diffuse X-ray emission that extends for 30"x20" southward the QSO with a signal-to-noise ratio of $\sim$6, hardness ratio of $HR=0.03_{-0.25}^{+0.20}$, and soft band flux of $f_{0.5-2 \: keV}= 1.1_{-0.3}^{+0.3} \times 10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, that is not associated to a group or cluster of galaxies. We discuss two possible explanations for the extended emission, which may be either associated with the radio lobe of a nearby, foreground radio galaxy (at $z \approx 1-2$), or ascribed to the feedback from the QSO itself acting on its surrounding environment, as proposed by simulations of early black hole formation.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, A&A accepte

Retrospective screening of solid organ donors in Italy, 2009, reveals unpredicted circulation of West Nile virus

Since the occurrence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in humans in 2008 in Italy, concerns have been raised about the potential risks associated with solid organ transplantation (SOT). A nationwide retrospective survey showed that 1.2% of SOT donors in 2009 were WNV-seropositive and demonstrated that human WNV infection is distributed throughout several Italian regions. Transmission of WNV or other arboviruses through SOT is a possibility and risk assessment should be carried out before SOT to avoid infection through transplantatation